Sweet Tooth #24Review

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And just when we ran out of tissues...

By Joey Esposito

These are the issues of Sweet Tooth that showcase the absolute talent of Jeff Lemire. After the shocking cliffhanger of last issue, we're brought into a surreal, near-death world that Lemire renders in watercolor and nearly complete silence. As a dying Gus searches in the great beyond for some semblance of a path, Lemire cuts back and forth to the here-and-now to show Jepperd freaking out as he cradles the injured boy in his arms. As the "Endangered Species" arc has done in every issue, this installment further establishes the connection between the two characters that was once so severely broken only months ago.

The watercolor sequences are truly beautiful, both visually and thematically. Oftentimes Sweet Tooth is at its most delicate when Lemire presents the more barbaric elements of the world that Gus and Jepperd populate. Issue #24 has some brutal imagery that is painted in the surreal style of the 'afterlife' sequences, making them at once terrifying and gorgeous. The last few pages, as the watercolor and traditional artistry begins to merge together, alternating panel to panel, the issue culminates in a tear-jerk of an ending that will leave fans of this series in suspense and in some ways, feeling utterly hopeless.